MIKE WALDNER: Coco Crisp is an overachiever, and cooperative to boot

Journalists of various sizes and shapes have been known to have love-hate relationships with athletes.

Truth be told, some have hate-hate relationships. This includes those with as well as those without malice aforethought.

There is, of course, the flip side, with athletes getting along with reporters. Or not. Or the relationship might be on and off.

Each side has been known to lack patience, forgetting their interaction is just part of the package.

During an interview two seasons ago in Anaheim Stadium, Oakland A's veteran Coco Crisp - Covelli Loyce Crisp on his birth certificate - was in turn polite, cooperative and expansive, providing long, winding answers to short questions about his start in pro ball and about moving from team to team to team to team.

The conversation turned to his high school travels from Peninsula to Westchester to St. Bernard to Inglewood and his shorter college journey from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Pierce College in Woodland Hills.

That's when he stiffened and abruptly announced the interview was over. It was time to go to work, he insisted. This was 20 minutes before he had to be on the field to stretch.

This is called an attitude. Where did it come from?

Angels manager Mike Scioscia provided a partial explanation when it was mentioned to him that Crisp seemed a bit quirky.

"I haven't seen that," he said.

He paused.

"I just know that every player on the field is a little quirky," he said.

Such is life during the ebb and flow of summer.

Scioscia praised the way Crisp plays the game when he answered a question about young, swift Peter Bourjos. Would the Angels like to see him play the game in a manner similar to Crisp?

"Yeah," he said. "Coco has shown the ability to be a difference maker in center field, on the defensive end, and he's a legitimate leadoff hitter. He can do a lot out there on the field."

A footnote to Crisp's career is he was in the Angels organization long enough to take a deep breath or two. He signed with them as a free agent after he attended Southern. The commissioner's office voided the contract, ruling he belonged in the draft because he had been in college.

Two of his high school coaches also praised Crisp.

The late Ron Kasparian, who he was with at Westchester, said, "He played second base and some outfield. He was a pretty good student, a good kid, his attitude was good, he worked hard. He'll create havoc. He's a pest."

Garry Poe, his coach at Peninsula, said, "Covelli was a member of our frosh-soph team in the spring of 1994. I remember him as an over-achiever who was very motivated and very positive. By the time (he played at Inglewood) he had become a better-than-average high school player, but no one could ever guess that he would attain the heights he has. He is a walking, talking epitome of hard work and superior attitude."

What's not to like about the guy? The A's were in Anaheim once again last weekend. Why not try again?

Crisp could not have been more cooperative. He talked about how it was fun as a young player in Cleveland when veterans razzed him and at the same time taught him life and baseball lessons. He talked about how today as a 33-year-old vet it is his time to mentor the young pups. He talked about the professionalism of the young A's. He talked about learning over the years to become a better base stealer. And more.

Eventually, this conversation turned to the A's being his fourth MLB team.

"Does anything prepare you for moving from team to team?" he was asked.

Without blinking, he referred to his revolving-door high schools and colleges and said, "That is preparation in of itself. But guys go from level to level, even if they haven't gone through as many changes in their life as I have."

How did he happen to be such a vagabond?

"It doesn't matter how it happened," he said.

This time it was not the abrupt end of the interview.

"It allowed me to be around a lot of different personalities, and coming into baseball you're going to be around a lot of that, so it's preparation for baseball," he continued.

He was cordial, cooperative, polite. He just wants his privacy on this subject.

It's part of the package.

Clearing out the mini-notebook:

Ouch: FIBA is the international basketball organization. FIVB is the international volleyball organization. Thanks to USA Volleyball senior manager of communications Bill Kauffman for pointing this out. He also reported that USA Volleyball has yet to select a replacement for the late Dave Williams as director of USA Beach Volleyball. ...

Scouting report: El Camino College's basketball team was an impressive 3-1 Friday and Saturday in the San Gabriel Valley JC Shootout. The Warriors finish their summer season in the Cerritos Shootout with games Saturday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

The focal point of the team is rising star Eric Moeller, who is 19 and 6-foot-11. Although he's from De Smet Jesuit High School in St. Louis, Moeller has deep local ties. His grandfather, Joe, a former Dodgers pitcher, was a baseball-basketball star at Mira Costa High; uncles Gary (basketball) and Ryan (volleyball) also are former Mustangs.

Somehow young Moeller slipped between the recruiting cracks. He attended Missouri as a freshman expecting to be a walk-on but for some strange reason was not on the team. New Florida Gulf Coast coach Joe Dooley heard enough good things about him to be in the stands Friday. Washington State, St. Mary's, Missouri State and Marshall have expressed interest. ...

Bottom line: Do not commend Ryan Braun for accepting a 65-game suspension for unspecified violations of baseball's drug program and labor contract. Braun cheated, lied about cheating, got nailed for his crime against baseball and negotiated the best settlement he and his team of agents and lawyers could negotiate. He wants you to think he took the high road when the truth screams otherwise.